Slicing machine



Oct. 14, 1930; w. J. CAMPBELL SLIGING MACHINE Filed July 20, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l llll I I I I 1 Oct. 14,1930. w. J. CAMPBELL SLICING MACHINE Filed July 20. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. J. CAMPBELL SLICINGMACHINE Filed July 20, 1929 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 14, 1930.

Patented Oct. 14, 1930 tion - UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL, 0F INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN BLICING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SLICING MACHINE Application filed July 20,

My invention relates to a slicing machine of the type wherein a circular knife is employed, herein shown as motor driven. One object of the invention is the provision of means for protecting the fingers of the operator from the knife. Another object is the provision of means for completely enclosing or shielding the cutting edge from the rear or slice discharge side. Another object is the provision of means for shielding the cutting edge of the knife from the rear or slice discharge side at all normal positions of the gauge plate. Another object is the complete protection or shielding of the exposed perip cry of the knife.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view, with parts in sec- Figure 2 is a rear elevation; Figure 3 1s a partial front elevation;

Figure 4 1s a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 with parts omitted.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawin s.

Referring to the drawings, A generally 1ndicates the base or support of a slicing machine, which may be provided with the ground engaging studs or pads A Any suitable motor means may be provided housed for example at B. B diagrammatically illustrates the end of the motor shaft B a pulley thereon and B a belt driven by said pulley.

C generally indicates a rotary knife which may be shown as somewhat cupped forwardly as at C and provided with the front and rear recesses C and (1 respectively, adjacent the periphery of the knife. C indicates any suitable knife shaft with which is associated the pulley C about which passes the belt B. C generally indicates any suitable bearing portion or sleeve which may be associated with or mounted upon the frame or base A. Associated with it is'the frame portion 1929. Serial No. 379,892.

C which extends forwardly toward the knife and conforms generally to the rear recess C of the knife, as shown for example in Figure 1.

Positioned forwardly in front of the knife and mounted in any suitable manner on the base or frame is the guard plate D which is shown as centrally somewhat forwardly bowed as at D It may be mounted upon the upward projection D of the frame. D indicates a cover portion overlying the frame portion D and overlying and enclosing'the upper edge of the plate D. It will be seen, for example in Figures 2 and 3, that the cover portion I) extends outwardly over the knife and masks the upper portion of the periphery of the knife shown in dotted line as at D. As shown in Figure 1, the axis of the knife is somewhat tilted from perpendicularity to the guard plate D and the arcuate portion D of the guard plate is thereb permitted topcnctrate the forward recess o of the knife, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

E E indicate tracks upon which any suitable work support, generally indicated as E may reciprocate. The work support is provided with a pusher plate generally indicatcd as E which may be guided for example by the sleeve E upon the handle pin 1*). It will be seen that the forward edge of the carrier E terminates somewhat short of the cutting plane, as at E and is corrugated or indented as at E.

G generally indicates a gauge plate the areuate edge G of which conforms generally to the are of the knife, as shown for example in Figure 3. The gauge plate G may be mounted in any suitable manner upon the supporting structure G which may be moved of the securing arrangement are shown for example in Figure 5. A plane portion G of the guard G is interposed between the gauge plate roper, G, and the supporting structure 1 c The securing screw G", with its screwthreaded aperture G, is in screwthreaded engagement with the screw stem G rearwardly projecting from the gauge plate G. It will be understood that any desired number of such securing screws may be employed but'in Figures 2and 3 I illustrate, so far as concerns the attachment of the guard G, two. The portionG of the guard is provided with an aperture G of such size as to permit substantial adjustment of the support in relation to the gauge plate or the gauge plate su port. It will be observed that the guard G is arcuate in form and extends laterally toward the center of the knife from the edge of the gauge plate and overlaps the rear face of the knife. It will be understood that this overlap is preferably sufliciently great to cause the member G to mask the cutting edge of the knife from the rear at all normal ositions of the gauge plate. In other wor s, in the preferred form ofmy device, no matter how far the gauge plate may be withdrawn rearwardly from the cutting plane, the guard G overlaps the cutting edge and the rear of the knife sufficently to make it diflicult or impossible for the operator to insert his finger, from the rear, into damaging contact with the cutting edge of the knife.

justed, as by the securing sqrew H generally indicates a work and slice supporting member, which may be mounted on the frame and extends beneath the lower edge of the gauge plate G. Preferably it lies in part on both sides of the cutting plane, in close contact with the forward edge E of the work support E It extends also to the rear of the knife, as at H, it being understood that the portion opposed to the knife conforms closely to the contour of the rear of the knife. The member H ma be ad- 2 which passes through an aperture H of sufiicient size to permit both transverse and longitudinal adjustment. When the screw H is drawn up movement of the bar H is prevented.

I generally indicates a slice receiving tray or container which may be removably mounted upon the base A. It may be provided with a handle portion I whereby itmay be lifted or withdrawn from operative position. It is provided at its inner end with the terminal flange I which masks the lower portion of the periphery of the knife as shown at I in Figure 2. The upper edge of the flange I conforms closely to the lower face or edge of the member H.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes might be The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

In a slicing machine of the type herein disclosed in which a motor driven knife is employed, it becomes extremely important to mask or guard the cutting edge of the knife. The importance of such masking will be realized when it is considered that the peripheral speed of the knife is enormous. In one form of my device a knife having a diameter of eight inches is rotated at a rate of 1750 R. P. M. The slightest contact of the hand of an operator to the cutting edge may result in an instant and serious wound. Hence the importance of making it as impossible or ractically impossible for the operator to ring his hand into unintended contact with the knife. Of almost equal importance is the necessity of, preventing access to the cutting edge of the knife of hard substances which would damage the delicately ground very thin cutting edge. Considering'particularly masking the cutting edge of the knife from the rear I have so disposed the parts of the present device as to make it practically impossible for the operator to have any unintended, access to the cutting edge. The cover D masks the upper edge of the periphery of the knife, as 1 shown at D, so far as the periphery of the knife extends outwardly from the frame,

The flange Iof the tray I masks the lower edge of the knife as at I. The inner extension H of the bar or "work orslice support H masks the cutting edge of the knife between the bottom of the gauge plate G and the top of the flange I of the tray. It is necessary for the operation of the device that the gauge plate be movable rearwardly away from the cutting plane. This is necessary to provide a throat of suflicient-width to pass slices of the maximum thickness to be sliced. In order to prevent access to the cutting edge so exposed I provide the supplemental guard G which overlaps the edge and rear face of the knife, and which extends inwardly toward the center of the knife a suflicient distance to make it diflicult or impossible for of sufficient size to permit a substantial measure of adjustment.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating .it, a carriage and mean-s for guiding it across the plane of the knife, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel with the path of movement of said carriage and means for moving it toward and away from said carriage,'a slice receiving tray positioned to the rear of said. knife, and awork supporting member extending along the path of movement of said carriage and provided with a portion closely adjacent and conforming to the contour of the rear face of the periphery of the knife, said slice receiving tray including a'flange upwardly extending and adapted to mask a portion of the arc of the knife below its cutting arc, said work supporting member protecting the arc of said knife between the cutting arcand the top of the said flange.

2. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a carriage and means for guiding it across the plane of the knife, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel with the path of move ment of said carriage and means for moving it toward and away from said carriage, a slice receiving tray positioned to the rear of said knife, and a work supporting member extending along the path of movement of said carriage and provided with a portion closely adjacent and conforming to the contour of the rear face of the periphery of the knife, said slice receiving tray including a flange upwardly extending and adapted to mask a portion of the arc of the knife below its cut ting arc, said work supporting member protecting the arc of said knife between. the cut ting arc and the top of the said flange, and a guard associated with said gauge plate, said guard being inclined rearwardly from said gauge plate toward the center of rotation of the knife and being adapted to overlie and mask the rear of the cutting arc, the space between said guard and the knife beingsufficient to permit the movement therethrough of the slices severed from the work by the knife.

3. In a slicing machine having a rotary knife and means for rotating it, .a carriage and means for guiding it across the plane of the knife, a gauge plate lying in a plane generally parallel with the path of movement of said carriage and means for moving it toward and away from said carriage, a

, slice receiving tray positioned to the rear of said knife, and a work supporting member extending along the path of movement of said carriage and provided with a portion mask a portion of the arc of the knife below and a guard associated with said gauge plate,

said guard being inclined rearwardly from said gauge plate toward the center of rotation of the knife and being adapted to overlie and mask the rear of the cutting arc, the spacebetween said guard and the knife being sufficient to permlt the movement therethrough of the slices'severed from the work by the knife, and a cover member overlying the upper portion of the periphery of the knife, said guard protecting the cutting are of the knife from the lower edge of said cover member to the upper edge of said work supporting member.

4. In a slicing machine which includes a rotary knife and means for rotating i a carriage and means for guiding it across the face of the knife, a gauge plate generally parallel with the path of movement of the carriage and means for moving it toward and away from the path of movement of the carriage, and a guard member secured in relation to said gauge plate, said guard member being adapted to overlie the rear face of the knife and to shield the cutting are from the rear, at substantially all positions of the gauge plate, and a slice receiving member positioned to the rear of the knife, said slice receiving member including. a portion adapted to mask the cutting edge of the knife below said guard member.

5. Ina slicing'machine which includes a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a

, carriage and means for guiding it across the receiving. member including a portion.

adapted to mask the cutting ed 9 of the knife below said guard member an a slice supporting member interposed between the lower edge of the gauge plate and the upper edge of the slice receivmg member and adapted to mask the cutting edge of the knife therebetween.

Signed at Indianapolis, county of Marion and State of Indiana,-this 12th day of July,

WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL.

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